Are you ready for some…baseball?

The sun is shining here in western North Carolina–finally!–the thermometer’s pushing 70–take that Mr. Groundhog!–and I just saw on the Red Sox site that Jon Lester is in Ft. Myers already doing the Spring Training thing! Woo-hoo!

Now that’s exciting news for a baseball fan like me and the fact that it’s Jon Lester makes it doubly exciting!

For those of you who don’t know who Jon Lester is, I offer up this little bit of wisdom:

**Jon Lester, who came back from a cancer diagnosis in 2006 to win this year’s World Series clincher for Boston, was honored Wednesday with the Tony Conigliaro Award for overcoming adversity through spirit, determination and courage.

The 23-year-old pitcher was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in August 2006. After cancer treatment during the offseason, he started the year on the disabled list. Lester was recalled in July and finished the regular season 4-0 with a 4.57 ERA.

The thing is…I saw him pitch with the Portland Seadogs in Maine before he was diagnosed with cancer, was devastated when I heard the diagnosis, and thrilled beyond belief when he returned last season after going through chemo-therapy. And the fact that he won the Tony Conigliaro Award last year means he’s a winner in my book–forever!–because, well, you know how I feel about Tony C!

And judging by Lester’s early appearance in camp, he’s just as anxious as I am to get this season started!